Scientists at the National University of Singapore have discovered that coffee and tea help maintain physical strength and the ability to engage in physical activity in old age.
The Journal of the American Medical Directors Association indicates that this study lasted about 20 years and involved 12,000 people aged 45-74 years. In the first phase of the trial, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires to assess their intake of tea and coffee containing a high percentage of caffeine, a chemical compound from the alkaloid class, widely used as a psychostimulant. Participants also provided information about their socio-demographic characteristics, health status, height and weight, dietary habits, level of physical activity, and sleep duration.
In the second phase (2006-2010), the researchers asked the participants to reveal what had changed in their weight and health condition. During the third phase, 2014-2017, they were asked to evaluate their health condition, and in light of this, the researchers evaluated the participants’ physical strength and ability to move.
The results showed that drinking black and green coffee and tea was associated with a significant decrease in the probability of physical weakness in old age. Scientists explained that these drinks, in addition to caffeine, are rich in polyphenol compounds (plant pigments) that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Its health benefits, such as protection against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases and obesity, are thought to help coffee and tea drinkers stay active into old age.